


Searching for Home

by Nightmarenip, ShyguyBarryboy



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Also beware of meme lord Donnie, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Don't be fooled Leo is absolutely a little shit, Fluff and Angst, Human Donatello, Human Leonardo, Human Michelangelo (TMNT), Human Raphael, In which things become gayer than originally planned, Mikey the sunshine child, Minor Original Character(s), Multi, TMNT, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2019-09-14 07:04:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16908378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightmarenip/pseuds/Nightmarenip, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyguyBarryboy/pseuds/ShyguyBarryboy
Summary: Fate has a way of pulling us together, but what happens when you've seen too much?AKA When doofuses meet in another life





	1. The Dojo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every school had one. The place where they send troubled kids, and finally, after one too many slip ups, Raphael had managed to land himself smackdab in the middle of that room. But he wasn’t a troubled kid.

Every school had one. The place where they send troubled kids, and finally, after one too many slip ups, Raphael had managed to land himself smackdab in the middle of that room. But he wasn’t a troubled kid. He had two parents that loved him and three younger siblings he would have liked to knock the snot out of, but hey, that's family. Still, what he _did_ have was a short fuse, and the training to show why you shouldn’t light that fuse.

The room was a baby blue, the kind of blue that they used to try and be a “calming color,” though if you are in that room, no amount of color therapy is going to save you. They, of course, chose the smallest room in the building, and somehow the coldest as well. Yeah, it had a few books on child behavioral studies, the diagnosis handbook, and, of course, the friendly looking therapist that everyone always spoke so highly of. Mrs. Hillsmen? Haller? Something like that. Raphael didn’t really care, to be honest. He was trying to figure out what he would have to say in order to get out of there as quickly as possible.

“Raphael, do you know why you’re in here?”

“No.” He grumbled. Deny _everything_.

He was leaning into one side of the neutral colored couch, his arms crossed tightly across his chest almost flex as his narrowed eyes stayed fixated on the poor tiny therapist. His parents were sitting on the other end of the couch, respecting that he probably wanted space. His mother was curled up into his father, not particularly scared, but worried. Her dark brown eyes kept darting over to her son, drifting between his face and posture. Sure, this was an invasion of his privacy, but she was his mother and this was her job.  

His father had a warm smile, arm curled around his wife and rubbing soothing circles with his thumb. If he was worried, he didn’t show any signs of it. Joseph knew his son was harmless and refused to give Raphael the satisfaction of getting riled up. He’ll get his attitude adjusted one way or another.

“W-well…” The therapist was a little confused looking at the family. “In this week alone, you have told a teacher to fuck off and you told her you would have your homework when you had it. You broke another student’s nose-”

“He was pickin’ on one of the younger kids, was I supposed to just let ‘im?” Raph argued, sitting up straight.

“He has a point on that one,” Joseph said, “I told my son to stand up to bullies, so I’m letting that one slide.”

“I-I don’t… Okay… well, he has had many other micro outbursts and Debra has expressed concern for his… temper,” Though the therapist was having doubts in that moment, “I know Raphael is on the wrestling team, but… martial arts has been proven to help increase discipline and peace of mind. And he can still hit things, just not people outside of sparring. At least, not without supervision. I already spoke with the head of the local dojo. He has a class this evening I would like Raphael to attend.” She handed all three a pamphlet with a smile.

While Joseph and Debra seemed to find the idea exciting and refreshing, Raphael was clearly not feeling it. Joseph was imagining his son as a great competitive martial artist and someday owning his own dojo. His mother, on the other hand, was just excited he might make some new friends. As for Raphael, he was less than excited. Letting out a breath he was holding, he knew his parents were going to make him go.

 

* * *

 

Anna bit down on her lip and squirmed in place, rehearsing what she was going to say. It was never easy confronting her oldest. Out of her four kids he was the only one that seemed to be able to fend for himself. It seemed to be more of a “he seems to be fine,” than a “he is actually fine,” type of situation, however. She took another deep breath before knocking softly. She counted, nodding her head, one… two… three, okay.

She opened the door and wasn’t surprised by what she saw at all. Her son was good at helping with the house work, but his room always looked like a dumpster. He was sitting at his desk with a blanket over his head, fingers moving effortlessly and gracefully over the keys. His desk was covered in monster energy drinks with bags of chips littering the floor around his desk. Normally this would have turned into a lecture, but she reminded herself she was here to help him.

“D-Donnie? Do you have a moment?” when he didn’t say anything, she kept going. “I’ve been thinking, lately you have been so shut up in your room, and I can’t help but notice you’ve barely left aside from helping me with the twins and…” She realized he wasn’t actually listening.

“Donatello Anderson!” She said firmly, making Donnie practically throw his headphones across the room and fall out of his chair.

“Y-yes mom?” His deep brown eyes looked up at his mother with a sheepish smile.

“Donatello, I’m worried about you. You never leave the house… other than going to school or helping me with the kids. You need to go out, Donnie, have fun! Make friends and get into some trouble…” she sighed, “you’re so young, and I don’t want to see you waste your childhood raising your siblings and sitting in front of your screen!,” she threw her hands up in the air in frustration, “You have the rest of your life to be a famous code maker, changing the world and building dreams. But for now, you are sixteen, and you need to get out and live your life.”

“Mom, I’m fine, really. I get out at school-”

“Donnie…” Her tone warned him to let her finish speaking, “When you were little, do you remember watching… oh, what was that show you loved… with all the little ninjas in it?”

“Naruto, mom. I-I don’t like shows like that anymore…” he blushed, finally sitting up, “I mean, that’s a stupid kids show!” He tried to laugh it off, though he secretly did still love that show, and was always on the forums trying to keep up.

“Well you always wanted to be a ninja. You took the broom apart to have a bo staff so you could try to mimic one of the characters,” Anna was lost in her nostalgia, smiling at the memory, “So I found this dojo-”

“Mom,” Donnie interrupted, standing up, “look, that’s really sweet of you, but we can’t afford that right now, and I don’t want you to stretch our budget because you’re worried about me.”

Donnie had always been responsible, always carrying the weight of being the man of the house. His father had up and walked out when he was too young to recall. He never understood why someone would walk out on their family, on someone they claimed to love. He tried to make sure his mother didn’t carry the burden on her own, especially when she got pregnant with his siblings. That had been one of the instances where his father tried to come back, only to realize once again that he didn’t really want to be part of a family. He left again, and Donnie never forgave him.

“Donnie, that’s the best part!” Anna’s smile was so bright and happy. Donnie couldn’t remember the last time she smiled like that. “The master of the dojo, I called him and talked to him, and well, he said that he doesn’t charge for underage individuals. He said that in today's day and age, he’s very excited when he sees children and teenagers in the dojo. Please, Donnie,” she begged and looked up at him, blinking her eyes pleadingly.

Donnie knew there was no getting out of this. He had to go. After all, his mother had remembered his favorite show, as a kid of course, because he would never say he liked it now. She had done the research and… and she was smiling.

“Okay mom, I’ll go.”

She kissed his forehead, hugging him tightly and laying her head on his shoulder. For just a moment, Donnie felt like life was perfect and the world was at peace. Though it can never last.

CRASH

“He did it!”

“Nu-uh! _He_ did!”

The two shared a weak smile before getting up to clean up the mess and calm the twins.

 

* * *

 

Michelangelo was lost in his comic books once again, legs kicking gently in the air as he hovered over his book, his adoptive brother playing video games in the bunk above him. They shared a pretty nice room, and while his parents always apologized for it, he didn’t mind sharing the room. In fact, he was just happy to have a place to call home. He and Jacob were already pretty similar; the room was decorated with posters and comic book art, video games were scattered and three gaming systems sat by their small TV. Your stereotypical teenage boy’s room.

“Dude, wouldn’t it be so cool to be a ninja?” Mikey mused. He was reading a batman comic, one that featured Damian, the trained assassin.

“Bro, that’s too much work,” Jacob laughed, “Now come play Smash with me!”

Mikey huffed. He always dreamed of being a superhero, prowling the streets at night looking for bad guys, bringing them to justice! He would totally have a catchphrase, something like, “Stop evil doer!” and he would put his hands on his hips, smirking at them, watching the hope drain from their eyes as they realized they had no chance of winning. Babes would want him, and he would find the one reporter girl that was crazy about him, trying to understand who he was and where he came from. They would start to fall in love and she would ignore him as plain old Mikey, but maybe she would start seeing the same traits...

“Dude… I would make an amazing ninja!” He beamed, opening his phone.

Jacob looked at his brother, annoyed. Honestly, in his opinion, Mikey needed adderall. Don’t get him wrong, he loved Mikey, and having a brother his age was pretty damn cool, but he just wished he could focus for like ten seconds.

Mikey pushed his shaggy blonde hair out of his face a few times as he tried to look for some kind of a dojo near by. And... _bingo_ ! There was one three streets away that had just  opened _and_ offered free classes for kids his age! If he was dreaming, he hoped Jacob didn’t wake him up. Jake always woke him up from good dreams, usually by sticking his feet in his face.

“Bro, I gotta go! I’ll be back later!” He grabbed his favorite beanie, putting his hair up. He grabbed his favorite skateboard, no helmet included, even though his mother would probably try to lecture him on his way out.

“Mikey, where is your helmet.”

“Moooom, I need to go! There’s a dojo three streets away and I am totally gonna be a ninja!” He whined, glaring a little. I mean, how could she want to hold him back from an opportunity like this?!

“Mikey, that’s fine, but ninjas need to protect their heads, so wear your helmet,” She laughed. She would give Mikey anything he wanted, desperate to make him happy, to make him feel like he was truly part of their family, “and how much do you need for these classes?”

“I don’t need any money, they’re free for underage people like me, Mom,” He grabbed his helmet, bright orange and hard to miss. He didn’t mind it, but he couldn’t say he loved it.

“Well that’s good,” His father huffed, “At least you don’t sit in your room playing video games all day,” He tilted his head toward the stairs, loud enough for Jacob to hear.

“You bought the game systems, I’m just making sure you get your money's worth!” he called back, laughing, “Mikey, on your way home stop at the taco truck if they’re still open, dude!”

“You got it, broski!”

Without another thought, he took off out the door, skating down the sidewalk and all but running people off. Hey, they may be mad at him today, but they would be apologizing when he saved their asses from baddies later.

 

* * *

 

New York was a beautiful but dirty city with high crime rates. It was a little late for anyone, let alone teens to be out of the house, but hey, in the big apple that was just a Saturday evening. Well, it was a Tuesday, but still. Somehow, the area around the dojo felt clean and safe. Even though the streets were barely lit at this time, and you could smell the garbage. No graffiti covering the walls, the windows were clean, and a soft, warm light came from inside the dojo. If you were looking in from the outside, all you could see was the hardwood floor, the mirrors that lined the walls so that students could check their form, and one lone old man meditating on a mat, a single candle lit in front of him.

Donnie, being the kind of young man he was, managed to show up nearly half an hour early for the class. He reminded himself that he was doing this for his mother. He was sure she would be smiling when he went on and on about his lessons, maybe he could find ways to stretch it out, make it sound like the adventure she wanted him to have. He was a little anxious walking in, seeing no one but an older man lost in meditation.

“Excuse me, sir?”  Donnie couldn’t hide the slight shake in his voice.

“Hm, oh, you must be one of my students for this evenings class,” His voice was brittle with age, but Donnie could hear something in his voice he just couldn’t place.

“Uh, yes sir, I hope I can keep up. You see, I’ve never really done anything like this, and my mother was hoping it might help me get out of the house and socialize more. You know, make friends? I thought I might be the only one here tonight, but you said one of your students-”

“You must be Donatello. Your mother told me you might be a tad anxious… and that you might be early,” he chuckled, “Yes, there are other students, two more if I recall. Even if there weren’t, I would have made my son join us,” the wrinkles around his eyes curled as he smiled.

Donnie sighed, relaxing a little. He had a son? Was he his age? He doubted it. Looking at the older man, he was sure any child he had was in his thirties at least. But that meant at one point or another, he had a teenage son.

“Thank you, should I call you Sensei? That’s the Japanese word for teacher right?”  He smiled, proud that he had done some research before showing up.

“That is the correct word, yes, and you may if you would like. Or Mr. Hamato works just as well. About your comment earlier about keeping up, understand this; if you try, you never truly fail.”

Donnie was shocked by the old man’s kindness, and he couldn’t help but feel hopeful for the lesson. That was until the school’s hot head walked in.

Raphael looked around, scowling as he took in the dojo. It was nothing like he had imagined. Being the way he was, he had hoped for at least one attractive shirtless guy, but all he saw was some scrawny kid and an older Japanese man.

“You must be Raphael,” the old man smiled.

“Yeah… that's me. Are you the coach?” He always respected his coaches, and he was making sure this one knew that.

“Actually, he is a Sensei, because he’s teaching martial arts, which the Japanese word for-”

“Yes, I am your coach of sorts,” He smiled, Raphael's mother had made sure to call and warn him about her sons temper. The last thing he wanted was for a fight to break out. Well, not one that wasn’t carefully monitored. The commotion would surely keep his son from peaking his head out.

Raphael narrowed his eyes at the taller, yet smaller boy before focusing his energy back on Yoshi.

“So what kind of warm ups are we in for?” He gave a wide smile. He always enjoyed getting physical and having a chance to expend some energy, and the way he saw it, he would probably be helping this poor old man.

“Well, we can talk warm ups when our last student gets here,” He smiled serenely. He was no fool, he knew that they had already written him off as a tired old man, and he was content with that. He was not okay with the door suddenly being thrust open, however, and a hyperactive child skateboarding into the dojo.

“Wassup' dudes!” Mikey yelled, all but running in, still on his skateboard.

“No skateboards on the floor, Michelangelo,” Yoshi scolded, trying to straighten up.

“Oh, sorry Sensei-dude!” He skid to a stop and put the board in his backpack.  

Yoshi Hamato looked over his new students and he couldn’t help but smile. They were all sorts of misfits. A hyperactive child that probably thought martial arts was the way to get girls (though it had worked for him when he was a younger man...), a child angry at the world for god knows why, who needed help finding inner peace, and a young man teeming with intelligence, but no real physical outlet to relieve his burdened mind. He knew he could mold them into slightly more disciplined versions of themselves, and they could teach him just as much.

“Leonardo!” he called, “Come my son, we have students,” he waited and sighed, “I am sure he will join us when he is ready.”

He tried to hide his annoyance, his son knew better than to ignore the guests in their home. Students were their guests, after all. He would have to have a talk with him later, though he tried to find a reason as to why he didn’t answer. Perhaps he had worked too hard and dozed off, his son was known for overworking himself, or perhaps he was focused on his studies, or cooking, yes, there were many reasons he may not be answering.

He started them with a few simple stretches making sure they were ready, though they weren’t making it far with Mikey whining and complaining.

“C’mon man, aren’t you supposed to teach us to fight?!”

“Yes, but that comes later,” His mouth twitched into a smile at the edges. Leonardo had once been that way, when he was but a child... before they had to flee Japan.

“How much later? Will I be able to kick butt?!” He beamed, trying to copy the stretch. He seemed to be vibrating in place.

Raphael and Donatello looked less than pleased, listening to his chatter. Donatello and Raphael were able to mimic the stretches perfectly, earning both boys a soft smile from their Sensei. However, the old man didn’t seem bothered by Mikey’s actions. In fact, he just answered every question he had asked.

“Ah, Leonardo, how nice of you to join us,” He smiled at his son, “Perhaps you can help me.”

“Yes, Father?” Leonardo was dressed in a deep blue kimono exposing some of his chest. His shoulders were broad and arms muscular. His hair was long, looking like finely spun silk that hung slightly in front of his right eye like a veil.

“Michelangelo needs a demonstration of what he may learn should he stay on my path.”

Leonardo smiled a little, “If that is your will, father,” he bowed a little, slowly as though taking his time. His father was a good man, and Leonardo knew without a doubt in his mind that he would lose the match, but it was always a delight to be able to help his father. He will always be grateful for what he has done for him.

Father and son went to opposite sides of the room, bowing with small smiles on their faces. Leonardo took a simple stance, inviting his father to make the first move. As Splinter charged forward, Leo blocked, grabbing his father's wrist and flipping him back, only for Yoshi to push off the mirror with his feet. Lunging for his son, he grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him down. Leo spun on one hand, using his left leg to sweep his father’s feet, but before he hit the ground, he caught himself. Father and son went back and forth as everyone looked on in awe.

Before they knew it, Splinter had his son on the ropes. Things finally came to a standstill with Splinter putting his son to the floor, hand braced at his chest. A moment of silence swept over the room before Splinter and Leo smiled, and Leo took his father’s hand. Mikey started clapping loudly, beaming and cheering in equal measure, Donnie quickly followed with his own clapping. Raph nodded in appreciation and tried to otherwise look disinterested.

When class ended, each boy had a new outlook on the dojo. Raphael wouldn’t say it out loud, but he had high hopes for this… punishment, now. He wouldn’t have to be told twice when the next class was. Donnie, being who he was, began to wonder about a ninja video game. He would code it himself, of course, but he would need more source material. It wasn’t because he wanted to be like the ninjas in the anime. Absolutely not. Mikey’s eyes were shining brightly as every comic book hero was replaced with Leonardo. His new goal was to befriend the local ninja family, and of course to learn some of those moves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is our first posted fic on Ao3, and I hope you guys enjoyed it! Slip us some comments on what you guys think! - Editor in Chief, Nightmarenip


	2. Daybreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kono yarō!” He snarled, thoughts of peace banished immediately. Suddenly Raph realized what he recognized in Leo’s eyes; he was broken and angry, and this man had something to do with it.

They had three regulars, to Leo’s disappointment. Leo knew the dangers of letting people get close to them. They had lost everyone and everything they had ever loved; regulars were a liability. Though, he had to admit he admired their determination and dedication. All good things come to an end, however, and he knew the end was near as he washed the local gang’s tag off of the dojo’s window.

Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael were all walking to school together, as they had found a route that would take them right by the dojo. Mikey was hoping that someday Leo would be curious enough to agree to go to school with them and Raph and Donnie just felt safer around the dojo, even if there wasn’t much to it.

“Woah! Dude, is that new art?” Mikey asked, thinking the graffiti-ed dragon looked pretty awesome.

“No,” Leo grunted, not looking at them.

“So… what happened?” Donnie managed to ask, trying to keep the shake out of his voice. Leo was not an easy person to approach. He was pretty sure Leo hated them, actually. Then again, Donnie thought everyone hated him; anxiety was a bitch that way.

“Local gang activity,” He said through clenched teeth, taking deep and even breaths.

Leonardo couldn’t understand why they would target the dojo, unless… no, they hadn’t found them after all of their hard work… it hadn’t gone to waste. It couldn’t. They were still unaware that there were to Hamato’s left. There was no way they had found his father… he was too old to take them on, and he had yet to complete all of his training. Could he protect his home? His father? Would he be able to? Was it his fate to lose his father too? And what of these three boys? They knew nothing of their past, how dangerous it was to be near them. Could he protect them? Was it now his duty? He tried to shake those thoughts off, but little helped.

“Well, if they show up, you can just do that wicked cool ninja thing you did! With a little _Hiya!_ and _kachow!_ and a little-”

“Mikey, take it down a notch,” Donnie nudged softly, smiling at the younger boy.

“Hey, if they’re causin’ trouble, my dad’s a cop...I could ask him to-”

“No!” He blushed, clearing his throat “No, thank you Raphael. As kind as that offer is, I am able to handle most trouble that finds a way here,” He bowed slightly as he turned back to cleaning.

“Well… We’ll see you tonight, right?” Donnie asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his unruly hair.

“There is going to be a storm, a missed lesson is not worth your health,” He offered that kind and charming smile that Mikey said would melt a “Babe’s” heart.

“We’ll be here,” Raph said forcefully, his green eyes narrowed.

Who did this punk think he was, telling him what to do? He knew he was hiding something, he wasn’t slick. He didn’t dislike Leo, in fact some part of him really wanted to be friends with him. But Leo was weird, not in the way of like, Mikey or Donnie, where it could be explained away by characters traits and anxiety. No, his was deeper and far more dangerous. Something deep in his eyes wanted to ask them for help, Raph could see it, but he didn’t know how to coax it out. He couldn’t just use his fists this time. He had to use what little brains he had.

“If that is your wish, just be safe,” Leo nodded before returning to his work.

Donnie, in a fit of bravery, pushed up his sleeves and grabbed one of the rags out of the bucket, helping Leo.

“You’ll be late for class,” Leo muttered.

“It doesn’t matter,” Donnie muttered back, “the dojo is a second home, and we need to take care of it.”

“Yeah dude, we’re in this together, my man!” Mikey yelled, grabbing a rag, giving a furious shake to rid it of excess water, “Like the three musketeers, only, uh, there's four of us…” He shrugged, books were not his thing.

Raph took the spot right next to Leo, looking down at him as if to challenge him. He looked back up as he stood up on the small ledge to get the top of the dragon. Whoever messed with the dojo was gonna get a face full of his fists if they had the balls to show up again. He swore he saw a small smile form on Leo’s lips at Raph’s aggressive stance toward the dragon. 

 

* * *

 

That night, all three showed up for their class determined for all kinds of different reasons. Though, it was Raphael who couldn’t figure out what his motives were. Mikey was, well, Mikey. He was having fun and enjoying life. Donnie was determined to show Yoshi and Leonardo how much the dojo meant to him, and then of course Raph. Raph was clueless as far as it went, but seeing the other two, and three when Leo decided to join them, his motives didn’t matter. He was just glad to be part of the team. It had been awhile since he’d felt like he was actually part of a team. His temper tended to make people wary.

“Boys… I’ve called your parents, and with the storm brewing we have decided it is best you stay here tonight,” The old man smiled with nothing but kindness, though he geared his eyes to his son in a warning. He knew that Leonardo disagreed with his choice.

“Woah! We like, get to stay here? Like all night? Dude, I am having a sleepover with a ninja!” His eyes all but sparkled as he slowly turned his head to Leo with the brightest smile anyone had ever seen. Like the sun, this boy, Splinter mused.

“Well, my mother is a very logical woman. I trust her judgement,” Donnie nodded firmly. Though, much like Mikey, he was excited at having a chance to get to know Leonardo better. After all he was curious specimen. Uh, person. He was supposed to stop talking about people like they were experiments. Still, Leonardo was the perfect case study for kids shut off from a mainstream world and raised with traditional ideals and beliefs.

“Tch, alright I guess…” Raph was just as excited as the others, but he was afraid if he showed it, they would tease him. If anyone wanted to know Leo, to pick his mind, it was him. He was the one who noticed the darkness in his ever-calm eyes. Those dark eyes, or eye… the other one was always covered.

“I will step out and grab some snacks from the corner store.”

“Father, allow me to go, if you were to-” Leonardo was silenced as his father raised a hand.

“Leonardo, I am not nearly that old. It’s just to the corner. You get the boys settled; make some tea. You know how I take mine.” Leo wanted to argue, but he understood there was no arguing with his father. He sighed, bowing carefully.

“Hai, father. Follow me,” He said, calmly leading them to the apartment upstairs.

It was a simple apartment. A love seat positioned in front of the TV and a small table. The dining room and kitchen were attached. The dining room had a family portrait framed from when Leonardo was just a child, his mother and father held the little boy between them. They looked happy. The kitchen seemed overstocked with herbs and spices. What Yoshi needed to go to the store for was a mystery. Leo moved gracefully as he started preparing the tea.

Even Mikey stayed silent as Leonardo moved around. It was clear something was making him… anxious. Donnie knew anxiety, and this was definitely it. Every stiff movement he made reminded him of his own. Raph watched closely, not really sure what to say to break the silence. But there had to be something right?

“What kind of tea are you making?” Raph tried to sound genuinely curious.

“Green,” he said simply, then smiled, “with a hint of jasmine. I make my own blends, Father enjoys it.” he shook his head, trying to pull himself back. “I never asked what you guys liked.”

“Green is fine,” Donnie grinned, and settled into the love seat. Mikey followed him, sliding into the love seat with relish. Raph continued to watch Leo from his position in the kitchen and leaned against the fridge, arms crossed but his body relaxed.

“Dunno dude, I’ve never had tea,” Mikey laughed, “But I'm sure I’ll like, totally love it, man!” Mikey was painfully happy, it seemed to Leonardo. He wondered what his life had been like, that he could smile so brightly that the sun was put to shame.

“I only drink green tea, it’s good for my muscles,” Raph flexed his crossed arms with a grin.

Leonardo was silent, not sure what he should say anymore. He rarely had a chance to socialize with people, let alone other teenagers. What did he talk about? Did they like video games? He’s always enjoyed them, but… maybe that wasn’t a normal thing to like? They seemed to enjoy training enough, maybe he should just talk about that? His train of thought was broken by the sound of shattering glass downstairs.

“Don’t suppose that’s your...dad?” Mikey laughed anxiously, his eyes darting to the windows. He got to his feet cautiously, rubbing his hands.

Leo pressed a finger to his lips and moved forward slowly. He knew they’d come when he washed away their silly little dragon. Pulling his swords from the hidden sheaths made for his kimono, he took a deep breath and stood watch by the door. Raph pulled Mikey and Donnie behind him as Leo took charge. He wanted to reach out and pull Leo back too, but he wasn't sure how this was going to go down. He didn’t like this situation, didn’t like it one bit.

The door opened and a tall, rather buff man with long blonde hair walked in. It was neatly tied off at the base of his skull, but that was the only neat thing about him. Of course, he also had the large purple dragon tattoo, just in case you didn’t know who he was, or what he was about. Not hard on the eyes really.

“You must be Leonardo,” He smiled, “You and your old man run quite the business here. I’ve watched you guys work with these boys, turning them into men. You should be proud.” His voice rumbled through the dojo.

“We are. It isn’t much, but it is home, now may I ask why you broke our window?” Leo’s voice was light, pleasant, and not at all fitting for the look on his face.

“Eh, didn’t mean to do that. The boys got a little ahead of themselves. I tried to tell 'em, but you just can’t get good help these days.” He chuckled as three tattooed punks had their eyes trained on the four. They eyed Mikey the most, he was clearly the weakest link.

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t hire help.” He said simply.

“Well we’re here to change that,” Hun smiled, “This city is dangerous, and you need protection. Especially since you’ve got three young men studying here now. We can offer that, for a fee of course.”

“So,” Leo smiled politely, looking him in the eye, “Then men who ‘got ahead of themselves’ are suddenly suitable protection? Not to mention you broke a very expensive window-”

“I’ll replace it, that will be free of charge part of our services,” He laughed, bemused at his spunk.

“I will have to decline. You gentlemen have a nice night.” His face stayed serene as he smiled kindly.

Raph looked at Leo with a mix of terror and amazement. If he was afraid, it wasn’t showing. His voice stayed pleasant and polite, almost as though this was rehearsed; maybe it was. Maybe Leo had known... he _had_ warned them. He told them not to come to class. Had he told them that this was going to happen, would that have made them stay away? Maybe Donnie and Mikey, but Raph knew he would have shown up ready for a fight.

“Oh? Is that so?” Hun smiled sadistically, “you don’t need my help?”

Raphael had heard enough of his father's stories to know where this was going. It wasn’t going back to them enjoying their evening talking about tea. The punk wannabes were laughing and moving carefully around, spreading out. They were going to attack, and as one drew a gun, Leo moved.

He moved so fast Raphael didn’t see him moving at all. The gunman reeled back holding his wrist, now dripping with blood. Another slice, and another, and he kept going as more men set in on him.

“Get upstairs! Lock the door!” He yelled to them.

“You going up?” Raph asked the other two as he geared himself for the fight.

“N-no?” Donnie squeaked, unsure if he really stood a chance against these thugs, but he knew he couldn’t leave Leo.

“No way man!” Mikey let out a loud yell before bum rushing one of the guys away from the tall Japanese man. Who, despite the situation and himself, had to laugh at Mikey’s tactics and enthusiasm. It was just so… him.

“Hey! We can smile later, ass kicking time now!” Raph rushed a gang member with a particularly vicious set of tattoos, and put another a choke hold once the first was beaten unconscious.

Two men closed in on Donnie, who grabbed a broom leaning against the mirrored wall. It was no staff, but hey, he could make it work, right? He had to. Though being inexperienced, he went for the cheap shot. Hitting one man between the legs and another in the eye, they both went down in cries of pain. Donnie ran to back up the others, swallowing down his fear.

Leo with his swords, Mikey with his battle cry, Raph with his wrestling moves, and Donnie with his broom… they actually made a good team. Leo for once put his trust in them, smiling and even turning his back to them while he disarmed and injured another man. Of course, no sooner did he turn around did things start going down hill. Mikey was thrown back, Donnie’s broom broke in half, Raph was bested with a knee swipe... In the confusion of it all, they managed to disarm Leo. Which, while it wasn’t great, he was still the best at hand to hand in the room.

“You got a plan, man?” Mikey was backed into the corner with all four boys gravitating towards him. Leo guarded the front, eyes shifting as more men closed in. He said nothing and tensed in preparation for the oncoming wave.

“Who needs a plan, when you have a father?” Yoshi’s raspy voice washed over the room as he walked over the broken glass. All froze as he stalked through the crowd to the boys. Like Leo’s smile, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. The thugs tensed as he approached leisurely, but Hun was the one addressing him.

“Ah, Sensei, you’ve arrived at last,” his smile was anything but pleasant, “you might need to discipline your students. They still don’t seem to grasp how to talk to their betters.”

“Betters?” He chuckled, “By three, even Leo knew when to bite his tongue,” His accent seemed thicker in his anger.

Donnie was wondering if personality traits were genetic. Father and son both wore pleasant and calm expressions that made him feel like he was missing something. An inside joke? Some hidden knowledge? _The secret of the force???_ He really wished they would share with the class.

“Hm, you five certainly have… _potential_. That’s enough for today. C’mon boys!” He laughed loudly, but paused as he turned slowly, making sure Leo caught sight of a far too familiar symbol tattooed on his bicep.

“Kono yarō!” He snarled, thoughts of peace banished immediately. Suddenly Raph realized what he recognized in Leo’s eyes; he was broken and angry, and this man had something to do with it.

“Anata wa junbi ga dekite imasen!” Yoshi spat, and moved forward to stop Leo.

In truth he was terrified, his son was not ready to fight them. He hadn’t even been ready to fight them. He… he hadn’t been strong enough.

He pulled his son to his chest with a strength that none of the boys would have given him credit for. He wouldn’t lose him, he couldn’t lose his only son. Hun made no move to strike, simply walking away leaving Leo panting in the wake of his rage. Leo glared out the door, wanting to chase him down and remove his throat and bathe in his blood… but that would make him no better than them.

“Let us go upstairs,” He said hugging his son, “I believe we have… much to talk about.” The old master sighed, a mournful look in his eyes. They were now part of an age old war. Perhaps Leonardo was right, it was too late to look back. They needed to plan for the future, but for now, they needed to face the day with open eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You bastard!" 
> 
> "You are not ready!" 
> 
> Google translate because I neglected my Japanese studies. - Barryboy


	3. Fire and Ash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How long could Leo run before he was nothing but ash? Looking at the three boys in the room, he decided he would become the ocean itself to protect his new family.

No one spoke for a long while. As the evening turned to night, Yoshi was focused on taking care of the wounds on the boys. Even if they were just bruises, he put salves over them to ease the ache. Raph tended to his own, until he noticed blood dripping off of Leo’s hands. 

“When the hell did that happen!?” He jumped up and walked toward Leo, eyeing the wounds. Yoshi didn't rush to his son’s side, he knew his son could handle it while he calmed Donnie. 

“Old man, he needs help!” Raph hissed, taking Leo’s hand carefully in his to look over it. Two deep cuts dripped from his forearm.

“Leonardo, can you hold out for a few more moments?” 

“Yes Father, I am fine.” 

Raph took some deep breaths. Control. He needed to gain some kind of control. How could he tend to Donnie’s little bruise while Leo’s arm was dripping with blood? A small puddle was already slowly forming right under his chair where his hand hung down.

“Gimmie’ your hand.” He demanded carefully, waiting until Leo inched his hand out to him. He cleaned the wound carefully as everyone watched the two briefly. 

“So, like, who were those people?” Mikey finally asked. 

“They are the purple dragons. The gang New York fears.” Yoshi said simply with a solemn smile, “But, the larger man… he works for a group of people that I could only hope would have learned to… to…” Yoshi was starting to get worked up. 

“Father. It’s okay.” Leo soothed, even Yoshi was surprised with his sons calmness, “You see, the Foot clan-” Mikey couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Wait, wait, wait, these guys, these BAD GUYS call themselves like… the foot clan!? Shit man, I am so ready! Just gonna yell things like, “Hey, I smell cheese” cause you know feet smell like cheese?” Leo couldn’t even be mad at the blatant insolence. In fact it was kind of cute, in an ignorant sort of way. 

“I suppose it is pretty funny,” Leo gave a weak smile, “But I’m sure it’s because Yuki knows Japanese names can be hard to pronounce.” 

“Don’t speak his name!” Yoshi spat. 

“What the fuck is this, Harry Potter? He Who Must Not Be Named?” Raph barked a forced laugh. 

“Well, he DID try to kill me as a child, so I suppose the same rules apply?” Leo smiled wanly. The others didn’t think that was quite as funny.

Raph understood a little more of the anger that swam in that one visible black eye, now. He wondered how much Leo had lost. Did he once have siblings? Perhaps he had been the youngest and had older siblings that doted on him. No... he would have been the oldest. He would have been patiently walking around with small kids following him around, singing and clinging to his legs. He would have let sisters weave flower crowns in his hair and brothers wrestle him. Raph’s chest became tight. He had made a decision that one day he would bring his siblings over for Leo to play with. Leo cut off his thoughts. 

“You three must leave and never return to the dojo. Please, I cannot live with myself if anyone else gets caught in this war.”

“No way!” Donnie shouted, suddenly feeling bold, “Look, somehow, someway, we are all meant to be here. I-if we…” He lost steam as Leo’s eye fell on him. 

“If,” Mikey continued, “If we keep on at it together” 

“If we learn more.” Raph added, “Then maybe you’ll stand a chance in this war. Way I see it, two against… well who knows how many; not very good odds. Plus, it’s really one. No offence, Master Hamato. Let’s make it four.” Raph’s voice came off harsh. “You need us and… we need this place.”

Leonardo was fighting a grin. This wasn’t meant to be a test, but somehow he felt a swell of pride looking at these young students. They had potential. Raph had the discipline and the passion, Donatello was beyond intelligent, Mikey was… well he had… he was a good kid, and he had spontaneity. They would work on honing what hidden skills he may have later. For the first time in ages, he wasn’t alone. It was a strange feeling. 

“Well, my son?” Yoshi asked, “The call is yours, if you wish for them to go, I will tell their parents we are closing our doors and we will move once more. If you wish for them to stay, it will be on you to unlock their potential.” 

Yoshi studied his son, watching him carefully, he knew before his mouth even opened what the answer was. Yoshi had been faced with this decision once long ago, and he had turned them away. Those who wanted to help him soon became his foes, and now… his son was faced with the same choice. 

“Very well, but this changes everything. Instead of twice a week you will have training every day, you will come here before school for meditation in the early hours, you will take care of your duties at school, and as soon as they are done make your way here. You will then complete any school work you have and we will start training. You will train into the late hours of the night and It will not be like my father's training. I do not intend to teach you the basics, I intend to teach you the secrets.” 

Mikey responded by jumping around rapid firing questions. Donnie nodded slowly, muttering over how to manage his schedule. Raph, he didn’t even seem to be thinking about it, he had other things on his mind. Goals, plans, ideas, and just some stuff he knew he needed to figure out. He was going to be tired, but that just meant he was doing everything right. 

* * *

 

The boys all settled in, trying to get comfortable for the night, though no one could rest. Mikey kept sitting up and looking around, Donnie had long since given up and was working on a new code on his laptop and Raph was laying on his stomach sighing. 

“Trouble sleeping?” Leo asked leaning on the door frame, dressed in casual sweats. 

“Yeah dude, that was, like, pretty terrifying?” Mikey voice cracked as he tried to laugh. 

“You and I have very, very different definitions of terrifying, my friend,” Leo sighed thoughtfully, “I’ve been dealing with that since I was just a kid.” 

Mikey seemed frozen tilting his head in confusion. While Donnie, even panic stricken seemed to put the pieces together, but understood there was a time and place, and this was neither. Raph, if he  _ had  _ bothered to listen, would have unlocked some more information but he was off in his own world. 

Thirty minutes later, Donnie had somehow managed to fall asleep curled up tightly, his laptop carefully put away, the stress finally tiring him out. Raph watched Leo sit and talk with Mikey.

“They’re gone now,” Leo sighed, lounging on the couch.

“Well, yeah, but…” 

“They’re gone. The past in the past, and we can’t dwell in it,” Leo paused, “If we dwell in the past, there is no future. For the future to move forward, we must let go or we will be pulled back.” he sighed. 

“Woah, you sound like... like a wise old man in the mountains for like, I dunno, a side quest that’s really part of the main quest?” 

Leo sat straight up and leaned back with his one visible eyebrow quirked. He let his head fall to the left like a confused shiba puppy before trying to hold back a laugh. It was so innocent and child-like, that for a moment, Raph wondered if this was what Leo was like when he let his guard down. Was he starting to trust them? Probably not, but it was something, right?   
“You’re like…. a superhero with the wisdom of the ancient gods! Ready to go battle against a long dormant foe!” He jumped up from his makeshift bed, “with a _hiya_! And a _waboosh_! And _wham-bam-boo_!” He laugh using some of the basic kicks that they had been learning to demonstrate his point. 

“You’re getting good at that.” 

“W-what?” Mikey’s eyes lit up, “You really think so?” 

“Yes,” Leo nodded, “You seem to be catching on quickly. In a short while from now, we should be able to move onto something more advanced.” 

“Woah, really!? That’s like...amazing!” 

“Yes, we will have to teach you three as quickly as possible, and then weapons… plenty of time to train with weapons…” He sighed. He didn’t want anyone mixed up in this war of his.   
Mikey looked at his sweatshirt quietly. It was blood splattered, Leo was the only one who had bled. He changed the subject as quickly as he could. Mikey and Leo shot back and forth. Leo could tell the younger boy was going to doze off as he rapid fired questions and bad puns, he was glad that he could put the boy at ease. Covering him up he muttered softly that everything was okay now. 

“Raphael, you should rest, I will keep an eye out for our new foes.”

“Returning to the scene of the crime twice in one night? That’s bad strategy.” Raph muttered, “Is this why you didn’t want to know us?” 

“Yeah. Go to bed now.” 

“I’m not some kid you gotta brush of Leo. If you can talk to anyone here, I mean, I’m all ears.” Raph’s tone didn’t match what he was saying. Not that he meant to sound rude, it was just so ingrained in who he was by now. 

Leo said nothing, signaling the end of the conversation. Raph didn’t push, but he refused to go to sleep. The two oldest boys sat quietly in a mutual silence of understanding. Leo sat near Mikey so Raph moved to sit near Donnie. A katana was slid over to him followed by a firm nod. They didn’t sleep, both could feel the flames of a fire long forgotten catching up to them. How long could Leo run before he was nothing but ash? Looking at the three boys in the room, he decided he would become the ocean itself to protect his new family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update! We're back in the swing of things and we're bringing new chapters with us!  
> Thanks so much for your patience. - Nightmarenip, Editor in chief
> 
> We (I) am trying to set up an actual writing schedule but for now we are just gonna hit the ground running and keep going. -ShyguyBarryboy, Tired bean of a writer 
> 
> Ps, we're sorry it's so fucking short, please forgive us.


	4. A Mother's Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps that was normal… for young boys to take after their mothers.  
> Even though his lovely Takara was gone, she was still there. She was in the pools of amber that had become his son’s eyes when the light struck, in his polite gestures, his soft spoken tones. The way he cared for each living thing, from bugs to flowers growing between the cracks on concrete. He love the underdog in any story. He once wanted to be the one to save the underdogs, to guide them away from the impending doom, just like his Takara. Takara who took in every stay animal, found homes for any orphaned children she found, and always was there to encourage the smaller and less healthy students. Even though she was gone, she had shaped their boy.

Yoshi would be lying if he said the attack hadn’t scared him. Part of him wanted his son to turn those boys away, and he wished he hadn’t given him the option. There was no going back now. His son was becoming a leader and a man before his own eyes, and it brought a mix of pride and despair in him. He had hoped he might keep his son a child a tad longer, his student still. He knew full well Leonardo was a young master, he had all he needed to teach these kids. He could only hope he had taught him everything.

Leonardo was deep in his lessons. Perfect posture as his fingers jumped across the keys. He was writing an essay of some kind, and from what Yoshi could read it was on European history. Though, it was possible he was just writing about it for a small portion.

“Do you need something, father?” He asked, without turning his head.

“No.” He remained where he was and stood watching him quietly.

Leonardo brushed it off as him being odd, while for Yoshi, it was a father’s love. He wanted to watch his son for as long as he could. When he was little, Leo would insist he couldn’t do his school work unless he was seated in his father’s lap...when had he stopped doing that? Yoshi couldn’t be sure, but he was sure it must have devastated him. He only pulled himself away when the bell downstairs went off, alerting him that someone had walked in.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Hamato?” A sweet looking woman asked. Her long black hair was pulled up into a messy bun with stray locks falling down around her face.

“I am,” He smiled “And you are?”   
  
“I am Victoria Hernandez, Donatello's mother.”

“And I’m Debra!” She reached out to shake his hand enthusiastically, “Raph’s mother, nice to meet you finally! My son is always going on about your class and that boy of yours.” She gave a warm and hearty laugh, acting as though she had known him for years. She wore a bun as well, but it was made of braids, she seemed all too confident, but confidence always looked good on a woman.

“It is nice to meet the women who raised such strong boys,” he smiled, “I imagine if my wife had lived, my son would have been more like Raphael.”

His mind drifted for just a moment to his wife, the first casualty in this god forsaken war. Her beautiful round brown eyes that shone like pools of amber should the sun hit them just right, hair of finely spun silk that fell to the marks akin to lightning on her stomach where she nurtured their first… their only child. The way she looked like the supple earth, soft and warm. His wonderful Takara.

“Ah, that explains a lot. Well, from what Raph told me, anyways,” Debra’s smile softened, “We’re actually here to talk about your boy!”

“Hm?” His brow furrowed. His son… his mind began to wander again.

He had been such a loving little boy, his eyes always holding the sun and stars in them. Everything was new, everything was perfect. Everything was something he could learn from. He would pluck the flowers from the garden, roots still attached, and run around the yard looking for his mother. He would thrust them, and a good amount of potting soil, onto his mother professing over and over his love, admiration, and how he would defend her honor when his father was old and could no longer lift his blade. Yoshi would always laugh and try to deal with his cheeky son… it was hard to believe the crestfallen young man carrying the weight of worlds and wars on his shoulders was once a bright eyed dreamer.

“Donnie mentioned the boy seems to suffer from some form of depression, or perhaps anxiety…” Yoshi clenched his hands behind his back as Victoria spoke. He already knew that much. He knew his son harbored a deep sorrow, but what could be done?

“Yes, my son carries his mother’s death on his shoulders,” he mentally slapped himself for his manners, or lack of. “Please, this is highly inappropriate. I cannot make you ladies stand in my doorway, please join me from some tea upstairs.”

His wife had once loved hosting guests, sometimes he would come home to find she had made friends of complete strangers. She would have scolded him for keeping these ladies in his unruly dojo instead of bringing them right up. But then again, his caution was well warranted. Whenever his son’s name, or mention of her son fell from someones lips, his guard went up.

The women followed him. Debra made a passing comment about how lovely their home was, Yoshi only nodded and offered a polite smile in regards to the comment. He started some tea gesturing for the ladies to sit and relax. Once seated, Victoria continued to speak.

“We were thinking it might help him if he had a chance to come out of his shell? Like, well… homeschooling is a great option, but Leonardo is at that age where he probably has endless energy! A-and if you let them sit inside all day, it can become a bad habit.”  She knew Donnie’s anxiety had gotten better once he had the chance to socialize, or rather when he actually made some friends at the dojo.

“I appreciate your concern but my son gets out often. He likes to go for runs, walks, often I have to ask him to come home. And he is a perfectly healthy young man and a martial artist.” Leo was going to be teaching these kids how to defend themselves. If he was in anything but perfect shape and health, he couldn’t teach them, but he gave these women a pass they probably didn’t know that.

“Well, don’t you want him to have friends?” Victoria started backing down, Donnie seemed to take after his mother. Perhaps that was normal… for young boys to take after their mothers.

Even though his lovely Takara was gone, she was still there. She was in the pools of amber that had become his son’s eyes when the light struck, in his polite gestures, his soft spoken tones. The way he cared for each living thing, from bugs to flowers growing between the cracks on concrete. He love the underdog in any story. He once wanted to be the one to save the underdogs, to guide them away from the impending doom, just like his Takara. Takara who took in every stay animal, found homes for any orphaned children she found, and always was there to encourage the smaller and less healthy students. Even though she was gone, she had shaped their boy. If any of their friends were still alive, he was sure he would be hearing about how much Takara and Leonardo were alike. It warmed him, but somewhere in his heart he knew it made the loss that much more… real. That much more fresh. Like reopening a wound when it was days away from healing.

“He has Donatello, who seems obsessed with teaching him about memes or something of the like… and Raphael who seems to share many of the same interests. Michelangelo… okay, that might be more like having a son than a friend with how much help the young man asks for, but… nonetheless it has given my son a sense of self worth and pride. Why would he need-”

“Look.” Debra jumped in, “This isn’t about our sons. Your son isn’t lacking in anything from what Raph says. We just think it may do him some good to be around others. Don’t you remember going to school?” He made a mental note to give Raph an extra hard time tonight.

“My family hired private tutors.” He wished he had been able to do the same for his son. Once they had been plentiful in money, they were by no means struggling but he couldn’t afford the same luxuries he grew up with.

“Oh…” Victoria muttered. That made a lot more sense now, he was only trying to keep his son on the same path as him. She understood a bit more, but it only made her more determined.

Yoshi put down the tea, making sure his movements stayed friendly and polite. His wife used to scold him at how forceful he was, as he had scared away far too many of her guests for her liking. Usually women, any men that came always saw his movements as a challenge and would try to match them and out do him. This had resulted in more than one or two… or ten tea sets being ruined. Sometimes, though he never told her, he did it on purpose to try and get some alone time with his wife. He always hated sharing her attention well, if it was shared with their family he understood but strangers just put him in a bad mood.

“Leonardo sounds like a strong and healthy young boy. That’s fine, great even, you did your job there. There is more to life than health, however. You have to know that by now. He needs to have experiences, he needs to see the world, and god dammit he needs to work on his people skills! From what I’ve been told, he does the same thing my son does, and comes off as cold to everyone” Debra was beginning to sound annoyed, and it made Yoshi hesitate. Did Raphael get his temper from his mother? Did he want to find out? No. The answer was no.

“Don’t you want him to be a normal kid? Eating pizza? Getting into minimal trouble? Laughing with friends? Coming home late because he had to see that movie with his friends even though you told him to be in by nine and it’s now three in the morning, and you’ve been up all night waiting for him just to know he is safe? Don’t you want him to find a sweet girl...o-or boy! I don’t judge, and settle down?” Victoria spoke quickly, like Donnie when he was trying to get something out but wasn't sure how to say it, so he said what first came to mind.

What struck Yoshi was one phrase “normal kid” did he have a chance at having a normal son again? The little dreamer hidden and lost behind all of this trauma. He had noticed his son smiling from time to time, a real smile, not his polite one. It started after those boys showed up. Was this really what his son needed? Just to be out with people? Had he made a mistake keeping him sheltered all this time? He always thought it was the best option so that he may offer comfort to his boy, but now he was beginning to see that he was wrong, but that didn’t mean he was ready to change just yet.

“...Leonardo, could you come here for a moment?” he called.

“Yes, father?” Leo asked in a less-than-excited tone.

Leonardo didn’t like company, but as soon as he saw company was there he stood straight up smiling. Putting on the charm a little too thick. His son was going to be a heart breaker one of these days but… if he didn’t let him out he’d never meet any girls. Or boys.   
“Hi Leo! I’m Raphael's mother.” Debra stood with a cheerful grin.

“I can tell, you have the same strong aura as him,” he turned his head to look at Victoria, “You must be Donnie’s mother.”

“My, quite the charmer.” Debra laughed, admittedly she was shocked.

Sure, Raphael was always talking about Leonardo’s eye, the way he carried himself as a man, but she assumed it was just some weird idolization. She couldn’t believe the man in front of her was in fact, a teenager. He was built well, strong, made of confidence and grace…. She wasn’t sure what she should say at this point.  She shook her head and smiled.

“I-I, or rather, we,” Donnie’s mother stuttered out, “We were talking to your father about you starting school with the boys.”

“Oh, is that what’s been going on?” he tilted his head smiling. “Well, I am sure you’ve made plenty of points so my father will tell me about them, and he and I will discuss it.” he reassured, “Though I believe it is getting late, I do not want your sons to worry about where you are.” he smiled. Truthfully he just wanted the women out of his home, he knew he and his father would have to have a discussion about this but… he didn’t want to put it off. He had been thinking about this for a while.

“O-oh how thoughtful, I didn’t even notice the time.” Donnie’s mother grabbed Debra’s hand. “Please consider what we said.”

“That went better than expected.” Debra cheered with a grin. “Thank you for coming with me, even though we’ve never met.” She said as they got out to the street.

“We have a bond now , our son’s have brought us together and since Leonardo doesn’t have a mother we will have to do our best to advocate as mothers for him!” Victoria smiled, waving before she got into the taxi pulling up.

Debra nodded, dojo mom’s had a nice ring to it, and she loved nothing more than being able to support her son. She also wanted to know more about this Yoshi Hamato. Like mother like son, she supposed.

* * *

 

That night Leonardo and his father ate in silence. Normally the two would go over how the day went, and even more recently talking about how Mikey had somehow managed to get tangled up in the mats, or Donnie’s odd references, or Raphael's progress, he was making the most progress as he was already physically trained to keep up. The silence wasn’t painful or awkward, just thoughtful, though they were thinking different things.

Yoshi was lost in thought about letting his son go. Could he really do it? He was a strong man, once a warrior and soldier but this task felt almost impossible. His little boy was far too young to be out on his own like this. Though, trial by fire was always his way of teaching when it came to Leonardo. What would Takara say? Would she want him out in the real world or kept close? Takara had gone to an actual school unlike Yoshi, she always said she enjoyed it. Leonardo was like his mother, so it stood to reason he would enjoy school. But what if they couldn’t challenge him? And his handwriting? Sure, he’ll write in English on tests and such but his notes would surely be in Japanese, would they be mad at him for that? For writing in his native tongue? He surely couldn’t bring his katanas with him, and kimonos would likely make everyone else uncomfortable, so they would have to go shopping, and he was sure someone would make fun of his accent. He didn’t realize he was shaking from his concerns.

Not that Leonardo noticed. He was smiling faintly as he imagined going to school with the students, they wouldn’t be his students there, he could be their friend. He wouldn’t have to be so strict or firm. He was sure Mikey would want him to show off some martial arts moves for his friends, telling them that he was friends with a ninja. He would probably do it too, he adored Mikey and would probably stick close to him. He was sure if he struggled in a class he could as Donnie for help, he was beyond intelligent and, if he went, he might understand all these meme things that Donnie keeps talking about, and the idea of getting to know more about Raphael excited him. He could tell the boy was trying to pick his brain and was trying his best to return the favor, he always talked about sports and extracurriculars. He had to admit they intrigued him, they weren’t graded or a mandatory part of the education process. No, they were for students to bond over, and a chance to meet new people. It excited him to say the least.

“Father, I want to join my students at their school,” he said suddenly, knowing he had to start the conversation somehow.

“A-are you sure this is what you want? Because you need not bend to the will of others. I know they are the mothers of your students but-” Leonardo had never heard his father ramble, this was new.

“Father, I want to be to be their friend and inside the dojo walls, I can only be their teacher. School will give me a chance to really know them, and the best way to blend in is to understand, right?”  

“That is correct… you will need to obtain a cellular phone… and you will need some new clothes and you won’t be able to take you-”   
“I can go with Raphael, Mikey, and Donnie to shop if need be, and unarmed or no, I can still use hand to hand. A man's most important weapon is his body after all.” He took a deep breath “I need to do this father, I need your blessing.”   
“You have it, and you’ll also need my credit card. I have enough stashed away for you to buy designer clothes and a top line phone if need be.” He smiled at his son. “Only the best for my boy.” He tried to keep his voice from cracking.

“I only need the basics father, but I will keep that in mind.” he smiled.

Yoshi only nodded wondering what was coming next, new students, new experiences, new chances, new hopes, new everything. But with all of that came the . bad. Would he be able to take it all? The Foot clan making their way to them, to his son? He would fight to his last breath if he had to. Victoria and Debra showing his son the love of a mother, the concern of a mother, something Leo hadn’t had in a very long time. Perhaps everything would be okay after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for continuing to read! Here's a longer chapter, and don't hesitate to comment and tell us what you think about it! - Nightmarenip, Editor & Chief


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